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An American Dean Develops an Emirati Cultural Lens

Dr. Denise Gifford who my wife and I have known since her days as a VP at the University of Louisville.recently wrote a piece for Al Fanar the Higher Education publication focused on the Middle East.

Nancy and I first discussed my leaving the company, The Connected Learning Network which I co-founded and had just started looking for a new adventure when we talked with Denise at a party. She had recently moved to the UAE to serve as Dean of Student Affairs at Zayed University and it was her thoughts and reflections on education in this interesting world that seriously got us to think about coming here.

We came in 2009 and our friend Denise helped us work our way through this new environment which we knew little about. She gave encouragement and support to us in the early months when we both had wondered if we had lost our minds coming to Abu Dhabi

Denise is now back in the states serving as Associate Provost and Dean of Students for Widener University doing what she does best, helping and mentoring students.